Internship | Job Vacancies at Pula

HRBP, People Operations at Pula

Job Description

Role Overview

The Human Resource Business Partner will provide end-to-end HR support across Pula, with a strong focus on People Operations, payroll support, business partnering and People reporting. The role will support employees and managers across multiple African markets and will be responsible for ensuring that core People processes are delivered accurately, consistently and on time.

This is a hands-on role that requires someone who can operate across both the operational and business partnering aspects of HR. The HRBP will manage day-to-day employee lifecycle activities, support payroll processes, partner with managers on people matters, maintain accurate People data and reporting, and support the implementation of broader People & Culture initiatives across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

People Operations & Employee Lifecycle

• Manage employee lifecycle processes end-to-end including onboarding, transfers, promotions and offboarding. Ensuring documentation, system access, inductions and exit administration are completed accurately and on time.
• Prepare and maintain employment contracts, letters and other employee documentation.
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date employee records across HR systems and People trackers.
• Administer leave, benefits and other employee-related processes.
• Act as the first point of contact for employees on HR policies, leave, benefits, employment documentation and general People queries.
• Support the consistent implementation of People policies, processes and procedures across the organisation.

Payroll Administration & Support

• Coordinate and prepare accurate monthly payroll inputs and supporting documentation for employees across the markets within the role’s scope.
• Manage payroll-related employee changes including new joiners, exits, salary changes, variable payments, deductions, leave and other relevant payroll inputs.
• Review and validate payroll information to identify discrepancies and ensure changes have been processed correctly.
• Liaise with internal stakeholders and external or local payroll providers to ensure payroll information is complete and submitted within agreed timelines.
• Support the resolution of employee payroll queries and follow through on payroll discrepancies.
• Maintain accurate payroll records, supporting documentation and appropriate payroll controls.
• Support payroll reconciliations and reporting as required.

HR Business Partnering & Employee Relations

• Build effective working relationships with managers and employees and provide practical HR guidance on day-to-day people matters.
• Partner with managers on employee relations, performance, attendance, employee development and other people-related matters.
• Support managers in addressing employee concerns and performance issues early and consistently.
• Provide guidance on the interpretation and application of People policies and processes.
• Support employee relations processes including investigations, disciplinary matters, grievances and other workplace matters where required.
• Identify and escalate emerging people risks and recommend appropriate interventions.
• Support organisational and team changes, ensuring that People processes and employee communication are appropriately managed.
• Provide coaching and guidance to managers to strengthen people management capability.

Performance Management & Talent

• Support the implementation and administration of the organisation’s performance management processes.
• Assist managers and employees with goal setting, performance reviews, development plans and related performance processes.
• Track completion of performance activities and follow up with managers and employees where required.
• Support talent and succession planning activities, including the coordination and tracking of development actions.
• Support learning and development initiatives and coordinate agreed development activities.
• Assist with identifying capability gaps and appropriate development interventions.

People Reporting & Analytics

• Prepare accurate and timely People reports and dashboards for management.
• Maintain and report on key People metrics including headcount, employee movements, turnover, leave, recruitment, performance and other relevant indicators.
• Analyse People data and identify trends, risks and areas requiring management attention.
• Ensure People data across HR systems, payroll records and reporting tools is accurate and consistent.
• Support monthly, quarterly and ad hoc People reporting requirements.
• Provide managers and the People & Culture team with reliable data to support decision-making.
• Maintain relevant People trackers and ensure actions and deadlines are followed through.

Employee Engagement & People Initiatives

• Support the delivery of employee engagement, culture and employee experience initiatives.
• Coordinate and help facilitate People & Culture programmes, workshops, surveys and other employee initiatives.
• Support employee communication relating to People programmes, policies and initiatives.
• Track participation, completion and agreed actions arising from People initiatives.
• Work with managers and employees to support effective implementation of People & Culture priorities.
• Support broader People projects and organisational initiatives as required.

HR Systems, Data & Compliance

• Maintain accurate employee information within the HRIS and other People systems, ensuring records and documentation are complete and appropriately maintained.
• Support the implementation and improvement of HR systems, workflows and People processes.
• Ensure People processes are implemented in line with internal policies and applicable employment requirements.
• Support HR compliance activities across the African markets within the role’s scope and coordinate with local advisors or service providers where required.
• Maintain confidentiality and appropriate controls over employee and payroll information.
• Identify opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of People processes and reporting.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Industrial Psychology or a related field.
• Minimum of 4 years’ relevant HR experience in an HR generalist, People Operations, HR Advisor or HR Business Partner role.
• Demonstrated experience supporting employees across multiple African markets. Multi-country African HR experience is essential.
• Practical payroll experience, including preparing and reviewing payroll inputs, managing employee changes and resolving payroll-related queries.
• Strong hands-on People Operations experience across onboarding, offboarding, employee documentation, HR systems, leave, benefits and employee support.
• Experience partnering with managers on performance management, employee relations and other day-to-day people matters.
• Experience preparing HR reports and working with People data and metrics.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets and experience working with HR information systems.
• Good understanding of HR policies, employment practices and compliance requirements.
• Experience working in a remote, multinational, start-up or fast-paced environment will be an added advantage.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Strong HR generalist and People Operations capability.
• Good understanding of payroll processes and controls.
• Strong business partnering and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong reporting, analytical and data management capability.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong planning, organisation and follow-through.
• Practical problem-solving skills and sound HR judgement.
• Able to manage multiple priorities and work independently in a remote environment.
• Ability to work effectively across different countries, cultures and time zones.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfortable facilitating employee and manager sessions and supporting People initiatives.
• High integrity, professionalism and confidentiality.
• Proactive, resourceful and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience with Bamboo / Engagedly is beneficial. 

Apply: BambooHR

Business Development Associate at Pula

About Pula:  

We are an insuretech and data services firm that provides agriculture insurance design and execution services,  specializing in index-based insurance and is backed by top-tier VC investors who have invested more than $25 million in the business. Since 2015 we have provided climate insurance to 22  million smallholder farmers, 41% of which were women across 19 markets in Africa and Asia who pay an average of $6.8 per season to insure their crops. So far, we’ve unlocked over $2.22  billion of capital from local and international insurance markets for climate risks since we started in 2015 and paid out $40.8 million to our client farmers. 

Pula is a fast-paced company, constantly adapting to new opportunities and challenges. We  are made up of a high-performance, multi-cultural team. We expect our team to value  performance, results, and professionalism. 

At Pula, our culture is defined by our: 

• Obsession with results: We are responsible for our future and therefore we get things done!
• Ability to connect the Dots: We continuously identify different customer needs & business problems and build solutions that deliver value.
• Our Can-do Attitude! We dare to do things differently to make things work.
• Ability to have each other’s back: We look out for each other & we share high quality, timely feedback that makes us better.

Responsibilities 

• Lead Generation and Outreach: 
• Identify and qualify potential clients through research, industry events, inbound leads, referrals, and market activity. 
• Conduct outreach via email, phone, and meetings to introduce Pula’s solutions.
• Maintain consistent weekly activity targets to support pipeline growth.
• Track tender websites and identifying potential opportunities for the relevant teams
• Client-Facing Document Preparation: 
• Proposal writing – 
• Co-develop proposal concepts through understanding and researching company experience, ecosystem trends, and innovative solutions.
• Write and provide quality control for concept notes,  proposals, and tender responses.
• Prepare templated pitch decks, concept notes, and proposals with guidance from the team
• Marketing Material Development: Coordinate the creation and improvement  of sales and marketing materials, such as brochures and presentations to  support business development efforts
• Client Relations Support
• Attend introductory meetings alongside senior commercial managers. 
• Manage follow-up actions, client requests, and general communication.
• Build rapport with operational and technical teams supporting the client. 
• Attend relevant workshops, conferences, and networking events to build relationships.
• Market Intelligence
• Gather insights on competitors, partners, and emerging opportunities. 
• Track key industry developments and report trends to the commercial team.
• Knowledge Management: 
• Manage database of P&C knowledge to improve communication efficiency across the team and institutional knowledge. 
• Keep CRM entries updated with accurate contact details, meeting notes, and pipeline stages. 
• Internal Coordination:
• Work closely with marketing, operations, and product teams to align on commercial priorities. 
• Support weekly team check-ins with updated activity reports. 

What you need to be successful:

• You are an effective communicator with strong writing skills, capable of synthesizing information, drafting compelling proposals, and communicating ideas across diverse platforms. 
• You are energized by networking events and thrive at building rapport and trust with partners. 
• Experience working with diverse actors from development, private sector, and the government. You listen and understand different perspectives and can connect the dots to build consensus.  
• Comfort working in fast-paced and ambiguous environments. 

• You are meticulous and highly organized in planning, executing, and monitoring multiple proposals under tight deadlines.
• You are a team player, you are able to get buy-in, input, and approval across internal teams as needed for proposals. 
• You are driven by impact. You are motivated by Pula’s goal of empowering smallholder farmers.

Qualifications: 

• University degree with First Class or Upper Second honors 
• 3-5 years of experience in business development, partner management, consulting, or related fields. 
• Experience in writing proposals, concept notes, and creating budgets in response to tenders.
• Understanding of agriculture and/or fintech sectors.
• Strong interpersonal skills, high motivation, ownership, and willingness to learn.
• Experience with Google suites, Excel, and CRM tools. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced qualifications or degree in Development, Agriculture Economics, Sociology, or related field.
• Project management experience
• Experience working in a startup or growth environment

Core Competencies:  

• Project Management: Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage complex,  multi-faceted projects effectively. 
• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills for interacting with various stakeholders and ensuring clarity in documentation. 

• Analytical Skills: Ability to track, analyze, and report on performance,  leveraging data for insights. 
• Tech Savviness: Proficient in using digital tools (CRMs) for pipeline management to  enhance team performance and operational efficiency. 
• Planning and Coordination: Exceptional planning skills for managing fast-paced and  changing logistics and activities. 

Behavioural Attributes:

• Proactive and Solutions-Oriented: Always looking ahead to anticipate issues and  resolve them creatively. 
• Detail-Oriented: Maintains high accuracy in work, ensuring quality and reliability in all  deliverables. 
• Independent and Reliable: Works autonomously with a strong sense of ownership  and accountability for tasks. 
• Customer-Focused: Demonstrates a professional attitude and approach in serving  both internal teams and external clients. 
• Relationship Builder: Establishes strong working relationships with stakeholders,  anticipating their needs and challenges effectively. 
• Fast learner: Demonstrates the ability to quickly absorb and apply new information,  adapting to changing circumstances and challenges with agility and confidence.

What Pula will bring to the table:

• Your work matters: At Pula, you’ll shape systems that give millions of smallholder farmers access to insurance for the first time. You’ll join a team that has already reached over 19 million farmers across Africa and Asia, and you’ll directly contribute to scaling this impact even further.
• Career development: You’ll be working in a high-performance environment with strong mentorship and leadership that values transparency, execution, and personal growth. As we enter our next phase of accelerated expansion, you’ll naturally gain opportunities to take on new responsibilities and grow your career.
• Global recognition:  Backed by top global investors and foundations;  Pula is a solid, well-funded organization. Our work is recognized globally (from winning the Singapore FinTech Festival Award to being featured in The Economist and TED Talks)  and you’ll be part of a brand that is respected in the industry.
• Purpose with Rewards:  Few opportunities combine career advancement with genuine purpose. At Pula, your work directly contributes to financial security for farmers in emerging markets, while also offering competitive pay, performance incentives, and an employee share option plan (ESOP) with equity upside.

Read More & Apply

Data Analyst Intern at Pula

As a Data Analyst Intern at Pula, you will play a crucial role in supporting the Analytics & Insights team by ensuring data management and analysis, problem identification, resolution, and the implementation of department strategies. We are looking for a highly motivated and data-driven individual with strong documentation and project management skills, capable of seamlessly transitioning between strategic planning and hands-on execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct data quality checks following standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Provide support to the support desk and field staff when required, ensuring effective communication.
• Utilize data analytics and project knowledge to identify risks and issues within projects.
•  Keep the manager informed by providing regular daily, weekly, and ad-hoc updates.
• Propose potential solutions to address problems encountered in the field.
• Draft training materials, protocols, and other necessary documents as needed.
• Utilize designated tools and software proficiently as per project requirements.
• Demonstrate honesty and transparency in all aspects of work.
• Emphasize direct and open communication to address problems and provide feedback constructively.
• Determine appropriate methods for data quality checks, data analysis, and operations assessment.
• Identify gaps in current data quality check SOPs and suggest improvements.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of newly implemented processes.
• Document findings, prepare reports, and make recommendations based on analysis.

 Who you are

• Complete Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Economics, Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness Management, GeoInformatics or Information Systems is required.
• Minimum of 1 year of experience in a fast-paced data environment is an added advantage. 
• Proficiency in specialized statistical analysis software and data visualization tools like Power BI or similar platforms.
• Proficiency in Python and R is a must. Knowledge of SQL is also preferred
• Ability to communicate complex information effectively through clear writing and excellent verbal communication skills.
• Capable of transforming technical data into presentations for diverse audiences.
• Skilled in collaborating with diverse groups, partners, and colleagues, demonstrating a strong team spirit.
• Self-driven, able to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Efficiently handle multiple tasks, prioritize work, and meet deadlines effectively.

Read More & Apply